Bali or Thailand – Where should you travel to?

You’re here because you dream of visiting either Bali or Thailand.

Wonderful cultural and natural gems, beautiful beaches and culinary delights await you at both destinations.

But should you choose Bali, or should you choose Thailand?

We’ll help you decide.

Unique travel destinations

Bali and Thailand are both fantastic, South-east Asian destinations.

While Bali is one of the most visited islands in Indonesia, Thailand has been one the world’s most popular holiday destinations for many years.

Bali offers a host of experiences in a very small area, whereas Thailand is a vast country, offering great experiences in the north and south alike.

So how do you choose one over the other?

The experiences

No matter where you travel in South-east Asia, you’ll find destinations packed with experiences. Thailand and Bali both offer cultural and nature experiences.

Experiences in Bali

Bali offers a high concentration of wonderful experiences in a small area. Boredom certainly won’t be a factor here, and it won’t take you too long to get there, wherever you go.

Cultural experiences in Bali include a visit to the island’s many impressive temples, which have also earned the island its nickname of “the island of 1,000 temples”. You can experience how the Balinese practise their Hindu faith, and everywhere on the streets, you will even see small sacrificial offerings to the gods containing incense, flowers, biscuits and other small things.

Bali is also home to some completely unreal nature experiences. Experience the magnificent view of the Mt Batur volcano from the Kintamani Highland’s viewpoint. You can also visit the 20-metre-high Red Coral waterfall that cascades from the lush hillside. The rice terraces at Tegalalang are another of Bali’s scenic nature experiences that take your breath away.

Experiences in Thailand

Thailand is a big country, and a whole host of exciting experiences await you here. In Thailand, however, you have to travel further between the different areas than you do in Bali.

Cultural experiences abound in the country’s capital, Bangkok, where you can go to the market, visit the golden Grand Palace or go on a boat trip on the klongs, the Chao Phraya River’s maze of canals that remain hugely important to the locals to this day. Further north, you can take a train ride on the Death Railway, bike ride in the ancient capital of Sukhothai, or try your hand at a Thai cooking course.

Thailand is also brimming with amazing nature experiences. Near the border with Myanmar, you can experience the Golden Triangle. The area, formerly known for its opium trade, features scenic valleys, mountains, rainforest and, of course, the unique Mekong River. In the southern part of the country, you can visit Khao Sok National Park, which is home to exciting wildlife, beautiful lakes, rivers and limestone mountains.

Beaches

You can hardly mention Bali or Thailand without thinking of the miles of beautiful sandy beaches and the crystal-clear turquoise sea.

Both destinations are ideal for a beach holiday.

Bali’s beaches

In Bali and the surrounding islands, you will find many different beaches offering a multitude of experiences.

On Bali’s south-east coast, you will find Sanur beach, which is wide and golden and perfect for lazing on the sand with everything you need at your fingertips. Extending along the beach, there is a promenade with various hotels, restaurants and bars. So you don’t have to move very far when thirst or hunger strike.

The small, tropical island of Nusa Lembongan is a mere 45-minute boat ride from Bali. The island is the perfect place to round off your tour if you’d like to experience a bit more of Indonesia before travelling home. Unwind and enjoy the white sandy beaches and the clear waters that are made for snorkelling.

Thailand’s beaches

Southern Thailand abounds with coastline and picturesque islands that have the most beautiful bounty beaches.

One of them is the beach on the island of Koh Ngai, which is like a completely secluded piece of heaven. Here on the island, there is no noise from traffic and no mass tourism – the island actually only has a few hotels, most of which are by the beach. And it’s absolutely stunning here! The perfect getaway.

North of Phuket is the popular Nang Thong Beach in Khao Lak. Khao Lak is the perfect beach holiday destination for those who want to combine the beautiful Thai beaches with the amazing scenery that you can experience in the aforementioned Khao Sok National Park, for example.

And let’s not forget Chaweng Noi Beach on the island of Koh Samui, which is the epitome of a tropical beach holiday. Here you can engage in some of the many fun water sports on offer off the coast, or relax with a good book or a cold drink on shore.

The food

Asian cuisine is bursting with colour and exciting flavours. In both Balinese and Thai cuisine, some of the most important ingredients are rice, noodles and fresh vegetables.

Balinese food

Fried rice, nasi goreng, or fried noodles, mie goreng, with a combination of different vegetables and meats or prawns, is a classic in Bali. Eggs are also added to the dish, and the dish is often topped with salted peanuts, fresh spring onions and small dried anchovies, which add a delicious crunch!

Chicken satay is also something the Balinese are really good at. You will see the grilled chicken skewers, which are marinated in coconut milk and an array of delicious spices, at most of the beach restaurants. Besides chicken, you can also find satay made from beef, pork or goat meat – and even fish in some places.

Thai food

The delicious Thai food just keeps coming! If you’re a real foodie, you can’t go wrong in Thailand.

Pad Thai is the world-famous noodle dish made with rice noodles and a tasty spicy sauce, meat and vegetables. It sounds simple, and simple it is. But my goodness, it tastes good! There’s a reason that it’s the most popular Thai dish among visitors to the country.

Green and red curry are also synonymous with Thai cooking. Green curry is spicy, and the paste used in the dish is made from green chillies. The dish is traditionally made with aubergines and Asian basil. Red curry is similar to green curry, however, the paste used in red curry is made from red chillies, which are not as hot.

The weather

Most people who travel to South-east Asia are there to experience tropical heat with bright sunshine and lovely warm water at the beach.

Thailand and Bali are both year-round destinations that offer hot weather all year. But it might be a good idea to be aware of the different seasons in the two countries.

The weather in Bali

Bali has two seasons – a dry season and a rainy season.

• The dry season is between April and September. During that period, it’s hot with lots of sun and generally very little rain. Bali is therefore great if you have to travel during the summer holidays.
• The rainy season is between October and March. During this period, the weather is a little more unpredictable and heavy showers may occur. However, they rarely last all day. It often rains at night and is sunny during the day.

You can read much more about Bali’s weather and climate on the blog.

The weather in Thailand

Thailand is a large country that stretches around 1,650 km from north to south. This means that there is quite a difference in the weather, depending on where you are in the country.

The country can be divided into four parts: Northern Thailand, Central Thailand, Eastern Thailand and Southern Thailand.

Where Northern, Central and Eastern Thailand can be divided into three seasons: The hot season (late February to May), the rainy season (May to mid October) and the “cold” season (mid October to early February), and the seasons in Southern Thailand work a little differently.

In Southern Thailand, the seasons are divided into the dry season and the rainy season. However, there is a difference if you are on the east coast or the west coast.

• The dry season on the islands off the west coast (Koh Lanta, Koh Ngai, Koh Mook) falls between November and March
• The dry season on the islands off the east coast (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan) falls between January and September

On the blog, you can learn more about the climate in Thailand’s various regions.

So which destination should I choose?

Bali and Thailand are both excellent destinations where the experiences just keep coming.

There are many factors that come into play when choosing where to take your next holiday, but hopefully the points here will have helped you choose the perfect destination for you.

Whatever you choose, you can’t go wrong with Bali or Thailand. You’re guaranteed a wonderful holiday that you’ll remember for many years to come.

TourCompass – From tourist to traveller